Patna: Nirula's, one of the country's oldest fast food restaurant chain, has opened its maiden outlet, it’s first in the eastern region and 71st in the country.

"Considering the fact that Bihar has emerged as an upfront market now, we decided to open our outlet here," Amit Chadha, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nirula's, told on Tuesday.

The Patna outlet would serve as gateway for the company to eastern India, he said. The fast food chain's new outlet was inaugurated by Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Tuesday.

The Nirula's CEO said they are receiving good response here as on the first day on Monday itself more than 300 customers visited the branch. "Bihar promises tremendous scope for our business...we are full of hope of doing well here," the CEO of the company, which has an annual turnover of Rs 100 crore said.

Seeing success of the outlet, the group would plan opening of more branches in other cities of Bihar, he added. Describing the changing face of Bihar, Chadha said while earlier there was only one flight between Delhi and Patna, now there six flights which reflects the increasing flow of people between Bihar and outside.

Nirula's has a good presence in Delhi, NCR, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. He said besides the 80-seat capacity restaurant at Fraser road in the heart of Patna, the group would set up an ice cream factory in the outskirts of Patna to dish out its vegetarian ice creams popular around the world.